UnionBank, CIDG collar card crooks

MANILA, Philippines - The Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have apprehended credit card fraudsters in SM Fairview, Quezon City and Laguna.

The UnionBank Quick Response Team (QRT) and PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 4-A jointly identified the suspects as Eden San Pedro Hipolito, Romina Catama Ishimoto and Rizzalle Bautista Gallarde.

The suspects allegedly used a counterfeit HSBC debit card for a transaction amounting to P29,284.35 in SM Fairview Supermarket on Sept. 18.

An alert cashier at the supermarket verified the card with Banco de Oro, SM’s acquiring bank, and it was found that the Bank Identification Number (BIN) on the card is for a UnionBank card, not HSBC.

UnionBank immediately alerted their client and confirmed that the transaction was unauthorized.

The bank deployed its QRT to the merchant to accompany the suspects to medico-legal procedures and to QCPD Police Station 5 in Fairview for fiscal and inquest.

A parallel investigation is jointly being conducted by PNP Anti-Cybercrime Division and UBP Security Management Group for a deeper investigation. Coordination with other victim banks is also being done to further strengthen the case against the suspects.

Meanwhile, another alleged fraudster who possesses 191 fraudulent card data was apprehended in a raid operation conducted by the CIDG Region 4-A in Laguna.

According the CIDG Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Unit, of the 191 seized cards, only seven are purportedly UnionBank cards. Except for one, the numbers that appeared on the card aren’t UnionBank card numbers.

UnionBank Security Management Group are coordinating with the Credit Card Association of the Philippines (CCAP) to further comprehensive investigation.